Ylesia

[MSA]

The hum and glow of his Emerald blade came into focus as it shifted around the darkened corridors of Nar Shadaa's underbelly. Off in the distance, he could hear blaster fire, screams, and communications. Above him was lit asunder. And surrounding him was the billowing of smoke. Then an explosion sent his mind unconscious. 

 

Next came the memories of his extraction, the sight of his Master sitting next to him as the shuttle shifted and rocked as it entered the array of the dogfights resounding around them. His Masters smile shifted toward him. "You're going to be fine Sanguis. Just rest." Æowülf spoke as he crossed the Padawans arms across his chest and covered him with the sheet. "You did well my Padawan. So rest."

 

Feeling the Force take hold of his mind, he could not fight the encroaching darkness of unconsciousness and when he awoke, he awoke on Ylesia. Sanguis jumped to his rise, the sore muscles of his form and wound upon his face threatening to tear open just before he flinched and reeled back in their pain. As his gaze shifted about, he could not find Master Bëndár within sight of the makeshift triage he had awoken in. Tearing himself from the cot, he ransacked his gear, bringing forth his comm and pinging his Master. But there was no answer to be found, only that of a message that awaited his finding.

 

As he sat back, he read the message from Æowülf with tears in his eyes. Mixed emotions filled his presence as he threw the comm back to his gear. So it had come to pass. Nearly thirty years under his Master, Æowülf Bëndár, and like his arrival, his Master had disappeared into the unknown. And Sanguis Æquitas had been raised to the rank of Jedi Knight, no ceremony, no farewell, just words. He knew this day would inevitably come, but in the course, he couldn't help but feel partially abandoned, tossed aside. And yet, that was Æowülf. The elder had always carried a ghostly presence about him.

 

And like his Master, when the triage nurse came to check his vitals, she found the room abandoned and Sanguis in the wind. Where ever he went now, the Force would be his guide.

[MSA]

Moments had turned into minutes, minutes into hours, and hours turned into days as Sanguis toured the camp and gave anonymous aid wherever he could. Whether it be fetching bacta patches, or carrying away the dead and deceased, he took the time to focus himself on the here and now rather than the past that threatened to flood his mind. Only in the silence of night amidst the world of dreams did his mind flow into the past and memories of his age flooded his thoughts.

 

Abandonment was not an unusual emotion for the newly decorated Jedi Knight, him having spent the first two decades of his life in lonely solitude. But for the last three decades, he had found solace and peace under his Master, a man he considered his surrogate father. Where the man had chose to disappear to, or where his path led him, Sanguis was unsure. Only that despite his best efforts, his absence echoed in the soul of his former pupil.

 

When a new day dawned upon Ylesia, Sanguis rose from his makeshift hut, a small concoction of boards and fabrics he found scattered amongst the trash. Dusting himself off and wiping away the sleep from his eyes, he winced at the healing scar beneath the armor that covered the portion of his face. Sure, he could use the medicines and compounds he had been fetching for days to have aiding in its healing, but Sanguis had never been one to place himself before others, especially if they needed it more.

 

After a brief meal mostly of a nutrient bar and insta-caf, Sanguis started his day as usual, returning to the triage tent far to the northern outskirts of the encampment. It was a rather obscure distance from his quarters, but he had chosen to distance himself from the others and the trek offered plenty of time to reflect upon his recent rise in rank and where he would go from here as much as preparing himself for the continuous carnage that rolled in from Nar Shadaa.

 

Yes, Nar Shadaa, the place where his life entirely changed.....

[MSA]

Memories of Nar Shadaa rolled across his mind as he sat outside the triage tent he had been stationing himself to for the last few days.The chaos, the carnage, the pain as much as the suffering. The Jedi teachings never truly prepared one for the truth of war. He sat there in silence, pondering the susceptibility that war claimed on a beings soul, and how easily one could fall to the allure of the darkness within. When a Jedi went to war, they walked a very fine line, and in the midst of it all, could easily falter down the unforgiving path of darkness.

 

He remembered his own brush with the darkness, the savagery he felt against the Sith for the wrath they wrought upon Nar Shadaa, the pain and anguish they inflicted upon its innocent souls without prejudice. Prejudice he could understand. But these Sith sought domination and damnation for the pure sport of it. There was no rhyme or reason to it. They simply wrought it. And he felt his hatred and anger toward them for it, unbridled and raw. And it scared him to death that he almost faltered so easily.

 

Lost so deep in thought, he hadn't recognized his moving toward the edge of an overlook toward the makeshift camp he held in his view below, nor of the Rodian that quickly approached and spoke and he nearly jumped out of his skin as it's words echoed in bland translation. "Knight Æquitas!" It called to him, his elongated ears have never heard the term before as he turned his blue gaze in shock toward the creature in it's approached.

 

Padawan Æquitas had been his term for so long, the substitute of his Knightdom was nearly lost upon his thoughts as the Rodian explained himself blandly through the equipped translator, the unison of his true voice resonating the urgency. He blinked quizzitively, the reality of his Knightdom settling in behind his initial shock as he realized whom the Rodian sought. Inwardly, he realized the truth of his Master's purpose for Knighting him.

 

The Jedi Order was, and had been, in shambles even before this war began, and half of his Apprenticeship. He was one of the few who remembered the Order at the peak of its power, a time when Knights and Padawans fell to their inner darkness like moths to a flame. He had witnessed Dark Lords rise and fall as the Sith hid and re-emerged countless times, and as before, this time felt no different, the seeds of chaos sown and the harvesters retreating until it came time to harvest once again the produce of their crops. This was why he had chosen to walk the path of Jedi Guardian before his Apprenticeship came to an end, to stand against the darkness, and why Nar Shadaa was his greatest lesson.

 

Sanguis removed the bloodied scrubs from his form and let his emerald hair down from its capped visage, as he threw them in the trash and turned back to Captain Xisqis. "I am." He spoke, his voice deep and proud. "Lead the way, Captain."

[MSA]

Sanguis remained silent over the course of their trek, his elongated ears attentively listening to the Rodian's bland translator interpret his native tongue. On occasion,  his mind would trail off in the archives of his memory, the expanse of his three decades as a Jedi Padawan as vast as a Masters, but limited to experience and encounters. Where most would immediately see threat, Sanguis felt a clear mind and level head would ensure a better outcome with his aid. After all, if Nar Shadaa had taught them any lesson, the Sith of new shot first and worried about consequences after the fact. This tactic felt slightly off.

 

"Command is correct in their nervousness. There are too many unknown variables that could be in play here." Sanguis spoke as the two approached the ship, his hand stroking the armor that covered the scar left upon him by Nar Shadaa. "But harbors no tactics like we encountered on Nar Shadaa. I'm not completely sure if the Sith hold any hand in this occurrence. Still... best to proceed with caution."

 

Climbing aboard the LAAT/I, they made the rest of the journey in the air. His own nervousness was placed away in his mind as his first mission as a Jedi Knight, and since Nar Shadaa began, and instead, Sanguis played out the possibilities in his mind as they ventured away from the camp. If it were infiltrators sent by the Sith, it would mean an Armada wasn't far away, possibly away from scans and patrols that would alert the recovering Alliance. Which would also mean comms would be more susceptible to interception were they to alert their Masters. Given the alertness already portrayed by the Alliance, this would be a pointless endeavor. 

 

If this were defectors, intelligence would be too limited to have already tracked the Alliance to Ylesia unless the Alliance had a hand in providing such information, but that would already have been passed up to command given the level of alert. No. This felt different, too manipulated for standard defectors. And as they drew closer, the Force felt more active and stirred vigorously, suggesting a Force User or at least someone with carnal knowledge of it. While the thought of a Sith had crossed his mind, the Force held no malevolence within its flow. Cautiously, Sanguis stood and braced himself to get a better look at the pods sitting below as they arrived.

 

"Hopefully with a bit of finesse..." Sanguis replied as he reached out into the Force and twisted his form against its current, grasping the two repel cables and guiding himself down to the pods below. As his bare feet landed and slid against the metal of the pods, Sanguis anchored the ship to the first pod before flipping toward the other that had sank its hatch and anchored it as well. "Keep it as sturdy as you can Captain." 

 

With those words spoken, his Emerald saber ignited and he began to cut into the exposed side of the escape pod. His intent was to rescue the trapped first before moving on to the second. Whatever laid beneath would be a revelation for a later time, treating this moment as a rescue and recovery first until more information became available. 

[MSA]

Sweat furrowed Æquitas' brow and dripped from his chin as the humidity encompassed his form, his gaze fixated upon the glowing mixture of heat and metal as he cut his way into the plasteel pod, his focus upon time and precision as the swamp bubbled up air and gas mixtures against the pressure of sinking metal. And then with focus in the Force, he peeled away the fold he had cut to reveal the occupancy below.

 

A sigh escaped his lips as his sapphiric eyes fell upon a loosely familiar face below, a face he had seen a few times in passing during returns to the Order. He smiled, offering the elder Miralukian his gloved hand as he dug his bare feet into the grip of skin meeting plasteel. "Yes ma'am, I know who you are." He spoke with a half hearted grunt, aiding the aged mother of the Grandmaster through the gap. "I was Master Æowulf's Padawan, but im not sure we've ever been properly introduced."

 

Turning his gaze toward the other escape pod, and shifting his body over toward it, his mind went back across his three decades within the Order, and the many faces he saw rise and fall across it. Though he looked nearly half his true age, his true age far exceeded most currently active within the Order, Misal's daughter and current Grandmaster included. Though he and Misal likely only were a decade part, any onlooker could not tell the difference. "I'll leave you to it then."

 

With the aid of the Force, Sanguis left across the marsh, using the natural scenery in between leaps to cover the distance, his lack of foot coverings aiding in his grip. As he reached the other pod, he reached down and opened it, revealing the others. With a soft smile, he offered aid to the fearful refugees gathered below, pulling each out as the others began their climb. "Captain, we've got nine friendlies for extraction, including the mother of Master Draygo-Darkfire. Okay everyone, two at a time."

 

As each began their climb, Sanguis remained behind giving aid as he could and keep the pods as stable as he could, each getting easier as two by two ending their climb. When all was said and done, Sanguis lept toward safety and with a single stroke of his blade, cut the cables and freed the ship from its anchor, exhausted both physically and through the Force. Sinking against the LAAT/i's framing, he looked toward the others and gave a reassuring smile. "Let's go home Captain."

[MSA]

"Forgive me, Lady Draygo." Æquitas spoke, his gaze never shifting toward her as he spoke. "To be honest, I'm not entirely sure where the Jedi reside. I've seen a few around camp, Master Sarna, Lady Kil, a few Adepts and Apprentices, but that's it."

 

Outward, Æquitas looked at the horizon of Ylesia and downward toward its passing surface with humbling shame. He had been here awhile now, lost in the reeling shock of Nar Shadaa and his rise in stature that he hadn't taken the moment to gather much Intel, and now he found himself lacking.

 

But such was the devastation of a battle like Nar Shadaa. Even the Force echoed its wound way out here, both through those that survived, and in nature, as it accommodated the tipping of the scales. It was a heaviness that all would carry upon their shoulders moving forward until the passing of time was capable of easing the weight. There may have not been much he could have done different, but it's guilt still glimmered in his sapphiric gaze as they turned toward Misal.

 

"Nar Shadaa may be over, but for most of us, we're still fighting... His tone was mono, usually deep for someone of his developmental age, and the horrors he saw and felt had aged his speech pattern. Nar Shadaa weighed his voice heavily. "... gathering, and redirecting. Few of us have ever felt such devastation or seen such horror."

 

As the LAAT/i made its approach and began its decent, encircling the plateau where the port had been stationed into, the repercussions of war was abundantly evident as the encircling camp spread outwardly into the horizon on all sides. Indeed, it's sight was grueling and saddening, reminiscent of the days following Coruscant. But Æquitas hadn't been there for that, his and Master Æowulf's mission having taken them far from the Galactic Core during that time and much of the war. Such things were new to the Jedi Knight. With a thud of the ship landing, Æquitas finished. "Its fracturing."

Edited August 6, 2022 by MSA

[MSA]

As Æquitas stepped out of the landing craft, he turned toward Lady Misal and offered the Elder a helping hand. "Admirable, perhaps not... He spoke in return, a soft smile crossing his face briefly. "But necessary in times such as these. If we don't move forward despite our wounds, then we fail those dependent upon us."

 

As he finished talking, he turned toward those he had just returned, offering each the same helping hand and guidance toward the arriving aid, his mind attentive to Lady Misal as she spoke. He knew she was correct in her assessment, despite his reluctance to admit it. But he also knew he had to keep pushing forward, placing his own needs aside for the sake of others first and foremost. He had been a Padawan for so long that the lack of guidance left a vacancy in his purpose he could not fill. He could only hope that it would work its self out.

 

As he thought upon her request, he only knew of two active Alliance establishments through the scuttlebutt around camp, one an old outpost on the outskirts of camp, and the other a nearby tent used by the Alliance higher ups. Which would be of better use to her, he held no idea. "I only know of two possibilities ma'am. A nearby tent used as a command post by the Higher Ups here in the camp, and an old outpost on the outskirts, neither of which I am sure may hold what you need."

[MSA]

During the trip to the Outpost, Æquitas studied the Elder Miralukian with both empathy and curiosity. Her form was torn between age and pain, both of which plagued the Elder as much as her path in life as the scars and wrinkles of her life were permanently etched upon her physically as much as mentally. Yet, despite being closer to her age than most, Sanguis hadn't held her experience. Aside from casual crossings, their paths had never formally converged until now. Feeling the wounds of her upon the Force, Sanguis closed his eyes and let the current take him.

 

Tendrils of purpose and intent fell upon the current that engulfed and swirled around them, like whisps upon the fog, stretching from Æquitas' open hand toward Misal's sleeping form as he placed suggestions within the living consciousness that made up the nature within the Galaxy. It wasn't strong, nor was it noticeable, as he used the small gift of Crucitorn upon her form to ease her pain. It may not have been much, not like the healers within the Order, but it would hamper the consistency of the aches that came with her life, even if only for a fleeting moment.

 

Her sudden consciousness snapping awake, however, quickly interrupted his focus and he closed his hand as it say upon his thigh and his gaze shifted outward toward their arriving destination. It was an indeed an older outpost, likely pre-Galactic War by the looks of it, but it held together as best it could. Stepping from the carrier, he studied its integrity and found little lacking for its intended purpose, likely needing another handful of decades to pass before it became condemnable. It would work, for now, for the purpose both she and the Alliance had intended to use it for.

 

"I think its best that i stay, if you don't mind." He spoke in a curious tone, his deep voice reverberating softly against the resounding echoes of both their footsteps and voices. "Given the edge that the Order and the Alliance has been upon since Nar Shadaa, you may need me. And I don't believe our reunion is purely by chance. The Force guides us beyond comprehension as you very well know."

 

What he spoke was true, but he left out the inner narrative he held within himself. While he didn't believe their meeting again wasn't by chance, and that the Force had placed his path upon hers, he was also curious about what she brought to the Order and what her intentions may have been. Yes, she was the mother of the Jedi Grandmaster, but she wasn't a member of the Order and her methods were well known amongst the Jedi Masters. He would need to keep his eyes upon this one, that was certain.

[MSA]

"How long have you been you on Korriban, Agent Orin?" Æquitas chuckled in jest as his mind reeled back to reality from the many questions that had flooded his mind due to the Agent's interruption. "Lady Misal isn't a Jedi. She is the mother of Jedi Grandmaster Armiena Draygo-Darkfire and a long time ally of the Republic and Alliance, and I'm sure her clearance level is top tier."

 

Æquitas' expression remained neutral, his gaze shifting between the two as he gathered his thoughts into words expressly bent on remaining the neutral party above all else, a habit that had been his for the last two decades or so. And when he spoke, the regalia of his presence reverberated in its tone.

 

"But I reiterate her question.... why Korriban?" In Æquitas' eyes, there was a hint of confusion. Over the years as a Jedi Padawan, which likely began when this man was still a child, he had been on many missions across the Galaxy. Like Master Æowülf before him, Æquitas walked the path of a Guardian, long having sworn to wield his blade in defense of the meek and had in several disputes between worlds. But as far as he knew, Korriban was a dead world, nothing more than a religious site where an Academy had risen a time or two, something he chose to speak. "Korriban is nothing more than a graveyard where cultists occasionally raise an Academy dedicated to the Darkside. Surely it poses no significant threat. Not like Onderon...."

 

His eyes shifts back to Misal, a hint of relief present within them and in the smile that graces his lips at the news of the Grandmaster's possible survival. It brought hope to his heart that Order would remain within the Jedi. Especially with the recent scuttlebutt around camp of the rise of the Imperial ran Alliance under a patriarch rather than the Democracy that the Jedi had long stood for. As his smile recedes, his gaze shifts back to Agent Orin.

 

"Well...come on man. Out with it."

[MSA]

Even as the trio left behind the outpost for a more familiar tent setting, Æquitas remained quiet and deep in thought, oblivious to the Agent's movements as he swept the area. Once or twice, his sapphiric eyes shifted to Misal to gather her own expressions on where she may have laid her thoughts, but reading the Elder Miralukian was like trying to read a Wompa in the blinding snow. He didn't like the ideology nor the appeal of politics, nor did he trust Jedi playing such a routine. But if what the Agent spoke was true, and held no reason to lie, the resurgence of the Sith species, or Tsis, provided some opportunities. 

 

"I must confess, Agent Orin, that I'm not sure why I've been chosen for the mission..." Sanguis spoke to break the lingering silence that had became awkward in the absence of words. "It's very apparent in my file that I despise politics, espionage, and the shadows of hypocrisy. It's not the Jedi way, nor should a Jedi walk so closely to the temptations it presents. This is why we've alligned ourselves with the Alliance, a medium and balance to tread where we shouldn't." Sanguis paused for a moment, searching for the words that should follow, his hand gracing his chin in thought even as he continued. "Perhaps if this were a diplomatic mission, I would agree, but this is nothing more than an Alliance sanctioned coup'd'etat."

 

Just as he finished speaking, Lady Armiena graced the trio with her appearance, shocking the Jedi Knight even as he bowed. Age had seemed to catch up to her since the last time he had seen her in person, and significantly since they were both Padawans. But that was so long ago that he doubted the memories remained of their brief interactions and missions, much less that he aged half as she did. But even more shocking was the words she(?) spoke to the Agent. Surprised, he choked upon his words.

 

"But Grandmaster.... surely we aren't sanctioning the deaths of an endangered species... how can we justify our actions?..." Deep in surprise, Æquitas looked upon the Grandmaster with a gaze of betrayal, as if he had fallen into a parallel world or into a dream state which he could not wake from. Perhaps he had been away from the Galactic Proper for far too long. But the Jedi were peacekeepers,  not soldiers. "These Sith, or Tsis, or whatever they call themselves, surely deserve our aid rather than a blade. We haven't even extended a diplomatic hand...".

 

While Sanguis was reeling in from his initial shock, Nar Shadaa did cross his mind and the memory it processed rippled across the Force as the scar beneath the brevor burned with a consistent ache. For Nar Shadaa had been a revelation. 

 

The streets of Nar Shadaa was chaotic, alit with flames and falling debris from the stories above as countless Jedi and Sith Forces intertwined. Sanguis stood beside his Master as blaster fire echoed around the corner and Sanguis heart felt like it was going to loose its self from his chest. In silence, Æowülf signaled Sanguis to round the corner and make for the adjacent alley as both his and Æowülf's Sapphire and Emerald blade illuminated the deepening darkness.

 

A young Nautolan laid nestled against his chest as her mother stood behind him. Grasping the mother's hand, he darted between the debris and flames as he attempted to lead the refugees to safety. That was, until an Ithorian stepped from the shadows before him, skin scaled from lack of moisture amidst the heat and grasping what looked to be an incendiary grenade. Before a bright light enveloped all he could see, the beings words echoed both in sound and in the Force as the heat overtook them.

 

"Down with the oppression of the Alliance!

[MSA]

Æquitas shook the memory from his mind as the realization of his outburst rippled outward, his shaking clammed hands sweaty in the palms, the erratic hasten of his heart beat pounding through the drums of his ears, the overwhelming sense of dread and calamity that hung over his soul. Looking to Agent Orin, Misal, and Master Armiena, he blinked and focused himself as their words reached out to him.

 

"I..I..I'm sorry. Forgive me." He managed to stammer from his lips as he brought his hand up to the brevor that covered the scar upon his face. "I didn't mean... I wasn't insinuating... I... I...."

 

As Agent Orin made his departure, Sanguis turned to Master Draygo-Darkfire as she spoke, his ears hearing her words as he fought against the anxiety that had taken ahold of him. He knew the Tsis from the Jedi Archives of Ossus. He knew their history and their political background before and after the arrival of the Dark Jedi that added fuel to their heritage and inevitably took it as their own. But he didn't like the aspects of this war, nor did he truly want to play a part in it. But as a Jedi, it was his duty, his commitment. And yet, Nar Shadaa still plagued him deeply so.

 

Night terrors had became a frequent occurrence, reliving that day over and over in both his sleep and in his day. So much so that aiding the sick and wounded had became his only respite. And it had come to consume him, so much so that his focus outside of himself had only hindered his own healing. Something he was beginning to see. But the child... the child he could not remove from his mind. Nor that of the Ithorian, so justified and righteous, a smile that encompassed his presence within the Force when he detonated the device. Had the wars of the Republic and the Alliance made life so undesirable and justified such destruction? These had become the doubts that plagued Sanguis Æquitas the most, not as a Jedi, but as a citizen.

 

Distracted by the arrival of the two droids, Master Armiena's words trailed off into oblivion, but most of her words had reached him and a sense of calm had began to replace the hesitation. His sapphiric eyes full of  emotion casually turned toward them before surprise took hold. Turning back briefly to Armiena, Sanguis nodded with a simply and subtle reply. "I understand Grandmaster. And thank you."

 

Turning back toward the two arrivals, Sanguis remained silent for most of the conversation, his experience with the droid's binary language limited at best. He understood a few basic chirps and bleeps, but for the most part, it may have as well been High Galactic. As a break in the conversation presented a brief intermittent, Sanguis finally spoke up a brief but curious question that had plagued him since their arrival.

 

"Excuse me, little one." He spoke, his monolog tone briefly breaking with the previous emotional overload from before their arrival. Clearing his throat, he continued, pointing his finger at Ruin as he poised his question. "Is his vocabulator broken?"

[MSA]

Sanguis struggled for the most part to understand the small buzz droid, but 'her' words weren't completely lost upon him. It took a brief moment of thought to subconsciously collate her speech patterns with chirps and beeps he understood with those he didn't. A furrowed brow only suggested this without words needing to be spoken before he attempted a basic response.

 

"I have no doubt of his intelligence, little one." His furrowed brow remained as he silently questioned the Alliance's need of such a droid for this mission. His gaze shifted to RUIN as he continued. "My worries lay with his programming."

 

Briefly breaking the fourth wall here, while Æquitas' writer may love and enjoy the prospect of RUIN's character, Æquitas' training and recent experiences on Nar Shadaa had left a disdained taste in his mouth for combat and he had yet to completely work through it. Whether or not Æquitas was a potential liability wasn't in question as of yet, but he had come to attempt to avoid confrontation unless backed into an inescapable corner. In response to his PTSD and without the guidance of his former Master, he had come to heavily rely upon the tenants of the Jedi Order as a metaphorical crutch and overtly put a burden upon his psyche. Only in this mission, would he gain the necessary clarity to move on.

 

But within the confines of the fourth wall, Æquitas had yet to learn the simple lesson that some things are beyond control and sometimes you simply have to let go and let existence prevail. And so his mind remained fractured between duty and belief as RUIN's words worried him. Shifted his gaze upon the latest arrivals and the return of Agent Orin, Sanguis turned his form to greet them.

 

As per his recent typical, Æquitas listened in silence during the briefing while disregarding most of the plans placed, his conscious memorizing most of it while his subconscious sought alternative means. After all, he was one man, and his objectives could adapt as needed. And yet, Master Draygo-Darkfire's words still hung at the forefront of his thoughts. As a Jedi, it was his duty to protect life at the cost of his own. And he would do this to the best of his ability. But war is war, and he had yet to face the true brunt of it's blade. In its chaos, he would blossom into a beacon....

 

But the path would be strife.

[MSA]

As the meeting began to wrap up and the two Alliance members began their departures, all that remained was that of Master Draygo-Darkfire and the droids RUIN and FERA. Sanguis silently gazed upon both RUIN and FERA briefly before deciding to make his own departure, but not before shifting his gaze to Master Draygo-Darkfire and forcing a half hearted smile. 

 

"Thank you again, Master." He spoke, his voice soft and hesitant as he stood near the exit. "I will do my best to uphold the Order's stakes in this mission and my promise to you."

 

But he knew he was only one man. This was an Alliance ran mission with a Jedi as backup. He felt that his opinion would matter little tactically. But he would do his best to uphold the Grandmaster's wishes and the Order's integrity. Turning out of the room, he saw Lady Misal and nodded his head as he made a momentarily approach to the Miralukian Elder.

 

"I wish you the best, Lady Misal, and I'm glad that we finally met officially. " He spoke, his voice a little bit more chipper this time and more sincere. "May the Force be with you."

 

He offered his hand briefly before making his departure back toward the large encampment to gather his things from the makeshift hut he had been calling home since Nar Shadaa. When time to head back toward the Alliance outpost, he would be found staring out over the encampment lost in thought as he boiled the mission over in his head and what it truly meant for him on a personal level despite his reluctance.

 

He knew he had to quit doubting himself and his skill, and that his Master would not have Knighted him if he were truly not ready for it. And his trust in the Force had waned, something he knew he needed to focus upon. For the Force would not have guided him so if it was not it's will. But life and its struggles had a subtle way of placing one off balance in the most important of moments and he knew deep down that there was a lesson to be learnt from Nar Shadaa even if it's horror has obstructed his view from it. Still, it was a struggle that he had yet to overcome, a struggle he would have to inevitably face with integrity and strength. Letting out a sigh, he turned and began the rest of the trek to his destination. 

 

When he arrived aboard the Alliance flagship to report for duty, he found the Admiral @Sgt. Slaughteraboard the bridge. Bowing formally, he introduced himself, something he had not done during the previous briefing. "Knight Æquitas of the Jedi Order, reporting in Admiral."